For the week of March 13, 2003
Cooperative Program
Southern Baptist Cooperative Program gifts totaled almost $17.7
million last month, an increase of about $800,000 (4.7 percent) from the previous
February. For the year, gifts total more than $78.9 million, an increase of
$1.2 million (1.6 percent) from the same time last year. The total also stands
almost $5.2 million (7 percent) ahead of budget. Meanwhile, designated gifts
totaled $50 million last month, a drop of more than $2.8 million (5.4 percent)
from the previous February. For the year, designated gifts total $83.3 million,
a decrease of $1.2 million (1.5 percent) from the same time last year.
Baptist World Alliance
A revised budget to address a $650,000 deficit recently was
adopted by the Baptist World Alliance Executive Committee. The committee also
addressed the controversy involving the application of the moderate/conservative
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship for alliance membership. In addressing the deficit,
BWA General Secretary Denton Lotz cited a declining stock market, decreased
membership support and a shift in local church giving patterns from traditional
institutions to independent organizations and individuals. Among the measures
taken, the executive committee adopted a new budget of $1,688,416 for 2003,
which represents a 20 percent decrease. Staff travel and alliance publications
will be reduced, and no cost-of-living increases will be issued. To reverse
the downturn, Lotz said various initiatives are being recommended for consideration,
including an annual offering and expanded membership to include associate members.
The alliance also has launched a “Make Up the Difference” campaign
that seeks to enlist gifts from individuals and churches. In membership matters,
alliance leaders affirmed the process followed regarding Cooperative Baptist
Fellowship membership and said it will be decided in July. Leaders stressed
Southern Baptist leaders have not tried to circumvent the process but has responded
with integrity and fairness. A spokesperson voiced deep regret and apology –
without qualification – for the hurt and embarrassment caused to Southern
Baptist leaders by the process.
Louisiana foundation
The Louisiana Baptist Foundation has been approved for membership
in the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, reported Wayne Taylor,
executive director of the Louisiana Baptist agency. The purpose of the council
is “to enunciate, maintain and manifest a code of financial accountability,
ethics and reporting which is consistent with enlightened and responsible Christian
faith and practice,” Taylor said. The council mission statement says the
organization”is committed to helping Christ-centered organizations earn
the public trust through developing and maintaining standards of accountability
that convey God-honoring ethical practices.” The foundation also will benefit
from council publications and services that inform members of current administrative,
financial, fund-raising, legislative, postal and promotional matters of concern,
Taylor said.
The use of force
The truly evil nature of Saddam Husseins reign in Iraq
calls for the use of force, Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission
President Richard Land said before a national television audience March 4. Land
defended a potential United States attack against Husseins regime as an
ethical act during a 90-minute discussion on ABCs “Nightline.”
In recent weeks, Land has stepped forward as a leading religious advocate that
military action in Iraq would qualify as a “just war.” The “Nightline
Town Meeting” marked the fourth national broadcast within a week in which
he has defended possible American action. Force is sometimes required when you
are “dealing with truly evil people, …” Land said. “I know
evil when I see it, and Saddam Hussein is evil. … I think Saddam Hussein is
a whole lot more like Hitler or Stalin, his personal hero, than anyone else
in the 20th century. However, Chicago Theological Seminary President Susan Thistlewaite
opposed U.S. action, warning against labeling others as evil. “When you
say some-bodys absolute evil, you can justify anything you do against
them,” she cautioned.
Cloning measure
For the second time, the U.S. House of Representatives has
voted overwhelmingly to ban all forms of human cloning, including those that
some scientists believe could produce lifesaving cures. However, such a comprehensive
cloning ban once again faces an uphill battle in the Senate, which has been
much more closely divided on whether “therapeutic” cloning should
be banned along with reproductive cloning. The House voted 241-155 to pass the
Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2003. The bill would make any form of cloning
a federal crime and also would ban importation of any medical procedures or
products that had been developed with the use of human embryos cloned in other
countries. President George Bush has signaled support of the House of Representatives
bill. It is not certain when the measure (H.R. 534) will be considered in the
Senate.
Protest of policy change
Several Democratic members of Congress have joined Islamic
and civil-rights groups in condemning recent FBI attempts to catalog and investigate
Islamic houses of worship in the United States. The group recently condemned
new FBI guidelines that instruct agents to count the numbers of mosques in their
communities as a part of some terrorism investigations. In a letter to Attorney
General John Ashcroft, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) said the policy endangers
First Amendment freedoms by unfairly characterizing mosques “and could
well lead to intrusions on legitimate religious freedom.” Ashcroft recently
relaxed long-standing Justice Department guidelines that prevented FBI agents
from monitoring domestic religious or political groups without just cause. FBI
officials reportedly have said the practice is necessary because of the risk
of so-called terrorist “sleeper cells” operating out of local mosques.
Islamic groups also have objected to a recent FBI request for a Maryland mosques
membership rolls.
Online SBC registration
Online registration for the Southern Baptist Convention annual
meeting opened March 1. Churches may register their messengers online at www.sbc.net.
The traditional steps of waiting at the counter as a registration volunteer
types in various lines of information is skipped with the online process. By
registering online, the Web site gives a church a “messenger reference
number” form to be printed out and presented by each messenger at the convention
registration booth in exchange for a nametag and ballot. Online registration
ends June 8. The traditional registration method also will be available for
churches unable to use the Internet option.
Passion for the lost
Southern Baptist missionary Bill Hyde was praised for his gospel passion following
his death as a result of a bomb blast in the Philippines. (See Page Three) “His
passion for reaching the lost of the Philippines led him to a church planting
assignment on the southern island of Mindanao,” Southern Baptist International
Mission Board President Jerry Rankin noted. “He had a passion to go to
the edge, to the hard-to-reach places, training lay pastors and evangelists
and starting churches.” Former missionary colleague Don Phelps agreed.
“Bill was the type of person who had the passion for going out to the hard-to-reach
places to train Filipinos to go out and start churches,” he said. “His
conviction was great that there was no place that was beyond the reach of Gods
spirit and his truck. He would load it up with Filipino pastors and lay leaders
and take them out to start churches in tribal areas and up in the rural areas.
There were hundreds of churches planted in a short amount of time in different
areas where he and (his wife) Lyn lived and served.”